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In product

Lunar New Year Gifts: Sugarfina

Lunar New Year is almost upon us on February 5th, 2019 and my family is sure to celebrate The Year of the Pig in a big way. If you’re visiting friends, family, or relatives, make sure to have a gift in hand as its a way to show respect and gratitude.

Common gifts can include lucky red envelopes with money, fruits, tea, Chinese herbs, snacks and even chocolate to name a few.

Sugarfina is a boutique candy store specializing in gourmet luxury candies for any occasion. They have crafted a selection of their classic candy flavours and new flavours for Lunar New Year.

The packaging at first glance is very elegant and is sure to spark conversation and then probably be devoured quite quickly.

Lunar New Year 8 Piece Candy Bento Box

This limited-edition red and gold foil gift box comes with a luxe collection of eight gourmet candies:

  • Golden Chocolate Pearls
  • Peach Bellini
  • Chocolate Kumquats
  • Blood Orange Fruttini
  • Sparkle Pops
  • Champagne Bears
  • Golden Truffle Eggs
  • Lucky Pigs

A great assortment of sweets with those who are gummy lovers or chocolate lovers. A little bit of something for everyone.

Our favourite flavours in the box are the lucky pigs, sparkle pops, champagne bears, and the peach bellini.

Golden Chocolate Pearls

Peach Bellini

Chocolate Kumquats

Blood Orange Fruttini

Sparkle Pops

Champagne Bears

Golden Truffle Eggs

Lucky Pigs

Lunar New Year Lantern Gift Box

If you want to go for a smaller gift, you can get their individual candy boxes and then package them in the Lunar New Year Lantern Gift Box to give it an extra look.

Red Envelopes

These porky red envelopes come in a pack of 5 with the gold foil-stamped pigs perfect for holding lucky money as a gift. You can pair this up with their Lunar New Year Gummy Pigs and Gold Pearls Candy Cubes.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it makes a great gift if you go with the big 8 piece bento box or the smaller ones. Grab them online or in-stores soon at your local Sugarfina store before they sell out.

Website:
https://www.sugarfina.com

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In Japanese

Ramen Koika: Prime Rib Ramen in Vancouver

Ramen Koika has launched their limited time-only Prime Rib Ramen as their special for the next few months. They are anticipating this will stay on the menu for another 2-3 months as it’s been quite popular.

We were invited to try the prime rib ramen out for dinner.

Prime Rib Ramen

The prime rib ramen is $15.95 and it comes with a piece of AAA Prime Rib, onion, cabbage, wood ear mushroom, bean sprouts, and tonkotsu soup base with triple black garlic oil.

You can get the broth non-spicy, mild, or spicy. If you want more meat, you can add another piece of prime rib for $4.95.

I went with spicy tonkotsu broth for mine and you can definitely tell its spicy with all those red peppers. Spicy has a good amount of spice for me but it does build up over time.

My husband got mild and it also had a hint of spice which wasn’t bad at all either.

They give you a plastic glove to handle your prime rib if you want to use your hands to devour this big bone. The meat is very tender and full of flavour. Definitely the best part of the meal.

If you love meat and have a big appetite, I would suggest getting 2 ribs instead of 1.

We both got our noodles to be cooked more firm so it has more texture and chew.

Final Thoughts

The prime rib ramen isn’t a traditional ramen but it is Koika’s twist on ramen. It has more of a Korean taste profile to the ramen rather than Japanese especially with the spices used. Good to see some diversity in Vancouver’s ramen scene.

Address:
1479 Robson St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.ramenkoika.com/

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In Dineout

[Sneak Peek] Dine Out Vancouver 2019 at Rocky Mountain Flatbread

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. has 2 locations in the Lower Mainland; one on Main Street and another in Kitsilano. The other 2 locations are in Banff and Canmore. They serve up handcrafted organic flatbreads and bakes them in their wood fired oven. They also have organic pasta dishes, salads, soups and decadent desserts. They are also know to have a very family friendly atmosphere with a play area too.

They are one of the participating restaurants on the Dine Out Vancouver 2019 list. We got a special sneak peek to see what they are offering customers. You will be treated to their $25 menu lunch or dinner menu.

Interior

There are lots of tables for small to large groups. Best to make reservations just in case it gets busy during peak hours.

Dine Out Menu

What is great about this menu is that there are so many options to craft your meal and you’re not limited to just whats on the Dine Out Menu.

Paloma Mocktail

The meal starts with their house craft mocktail. When we were here, it was the Paloma mocktail with pink grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed lime, simple syrup and soda. You can spice this up with tequila or vodka for $5 extra.

Appetizers

For appetizers, you have 3 choices of a salad, Mushroom Caps or house made soup.

For the salad option you have a few to choose from so you’re not limited to just one kind. Your choices are Fresh Herb Salad (Vegan), Basil & Blackberry Salad, or Fig & Goat Cheese Salad. They have pretty good salads but my favourite is the fig & goat cheese salad.

The BC Mushroom Caps have 4 different flavours to choose from:

  • Bacon, Leek & Cheddar
  • Spinach & Goat Cheese
  • Roasted Veggies
  • Sundried Tomato Hummus

Of the ones we tried, the bacon, leek and cheddar was my favourite as the saltiness from the bacon married well with the mushroom.

As for soups, there are 2 to choose from – Seasonal Soup  or their Spicy Organic Tomato Soup, which is vegan. The seasonal soup was potato and leek but it can change depending on when you go. Very comforting and not salty at all.

Entrees

For the main dishes, you can choose from pizza or pastas on their menu.

There are 12 different pizzas to choose from on the menu and you can customize for gluten-free pizza crust or artisan pizza for an extra charge.

Some of my favourites are the Fig & Brie Artisan Pizza, Farmers Market, and Pesto Chicken.

Pasta is the other entree option and you have 4 types to choose from:

  • Chef’s Pasta Feature
  • Roasted Vegetable Rotini
  • Bacon and Three Cheese Penne
  • Penne Bolognese

The pastas are created with organic pasta and local seasonal veggies. I really enjoyed the bacon and three cheese penne. Delicious!

Dessert

The best part of the meal is when it comes to dessert. You can choose from:

  • Warm Double Chocolate Brownies Served With Vanilla Ice Cream
  • Baked Cheesecake With A Toasted Coconut Base  (Gluten Free)
  • Seasonal Sorbet  (Gluten Free & Vegan)
  • Apple Cinnamon Crumble Served With Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream  (Gluten Free + Vegan)

A good selection but the warm double chocolate brownie is by for the most popular. I tried the apple cinnamon crumble and it was also very very good.

Final Thoughts

For $25 3-course menu and a mocktail, it’s a good price. There is a lot of flexibility to the menu for lunch and dinner to cater to varying dietary needs and it’s very family-friendly. Kids can choose items from the regular menu or even do the kids 3-course menu for $13.50. Highly recommended for parents that want a night out and may have to bring kids along.

Address:
4186 Main St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.rockymountainflatbread.ca/

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In product

Nespresso Limited Edition Café Istanbul and Caffè Venezia Capsules Review

Nespresso just launched new Limited Edition coffees – Café Istanbul and Caffè Venezia, which are now available on both Original and Vertuo Nespresso machines.

These coffees are inspired by the world’s very first coffee houses in Venice and Istanbul.

Café Istanbul

Intensity – 10

This pod uses Arabian Mocha coffee from Yemen mixes with East Indies and Indian treasures to create this cup of coffee. It is reminiscent of the mystery of the oriental bazaar. It has a bold character carrying intense roasted and black pepper spicy notes.

It’s definitely for those bold black coffee lovers who like it strong. The acidity is low but the bitterness, body and roast of this is more strong.

If you want to lessen the harshness of Café Istanbul, you can add frothed milk or do an extra long shot as an Americano too. I turned this into a little cappuccino to make it more subtle for my own taste.

Caffè Venezia

Intensity – 7

With Caffè Venezia, you get a taste of history as coffee from the ancient Ethiopian city of Harar mixes with Indian Arabica to create a cup rich with the exotic perfume of the East. You can sense the wild and floral notes combine with a roasted character in this potent and complex coffee.

It’s definitely more mild and slightly more acidic than Café Istanbul.

As the capsules are larger, it makes 230ml of coffee and you can have it as is, make it a latte, or turn it into an Americano.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for some variation in your coffee options at Nespresso for your machine, definitively check these out if you like bolder stronger coffees. Café Istanbul and Caffè Venezia are now available for a limited period from Nespresso boutiques around the world or online.

Website:
https://www.nespresso.com

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In burger

Gott’s Roadside: Burgers and Milkshakes in Palo Alto

Gott’s Roadside is a popular spot for burgers, fries, and drinks. Their Californian-inspired dishes utilize locally sourced ingredients and elevates the traditional American Roadside experience. When we were visiting the area, we decided to make a stop here since a lot of our family members never had Gott’s before, so we had to go for a quick bite.

Interior

There are lots of seats inside and a few spots outside as well. Since it was the Summer, it was nice just sitting outside enjoying the weather.

Menu

Waiting for your order

Once you input and pay for your order, you get this electronic device to let you know when your order is ready. It will flash and buzz when it’s your turn. A great idea so you can find a seat and not just be waiting around.

Black and White Milk Shake

Their milk shakes are hand spun with organic ice cream and milk. We went with the black and white which is vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. A classic and looks good too.

California Burger

A classic! It has fried egg, swiss cheese, Zoe’s bacon, arugula, balsamic onions and mayo on a toasted egg bun. How can you say no to a burger with a delicious egg. It was cooked medium well, so it is a little pink inside and it’s delicious.

Western Bacon Blue Ring

This has beer-battered onion ring, Point Reyes crumbled blue cheese, bacon, pickles, red onion & BBQ sauce on a toasted egg bun. A big burger with good textures and complimentary flavours. The blue cheese was nice and pungent. It went well with the BBQ sauce.

Ahi Burger

This burger uses sushi grade Ahi tuna seared rare with ginger wasabi mayo, Asian slaw & cilantro on a toasted egg bun. A lighter version of the other burgers on the menu but it is a nice change. The ahi was beautifully cooked too.

Baja Fish Tacos

There are 2 tacos in each order. It has fresh Mahi Mahi, beer-battered & fried crisp, served in soft, organic corn tortillas with Mexican slaw, cilantro, salsa verde, lime & spicy mayo.

It was ok, but the burgers are where it’s at here.

Garlic Fries

To compliment the burgers, we got garlic fries, which are tossed in garlic butter and parsley. A good combination to make it a fitting meal.

Final Thoughts

Overall, if you’re craving a solid burger, Gott’s Roadside has got your back. It’s not the best burger in Northern California, but it’s solid.

Address:
 855 El Camino Real #65, Palo Alto, CA

Website:
https://www.gotts.com

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In Dessert

Bake49: Japanese Desserts in Yaletown

I have been waiting in anticipation for Bake49 to open since they announced their location in Yaletown. I’m a sucker for Japanese desserts, so I had to make my friend go with me despite being on a diabetic diet until the baby comes. Rules are meant to be broken.

Bake 49 is headed by Iljin Kyung and Haram Lee and had quite a buzz since they opened with lines out the door and sells out everyday. Great for them but sometimes it’s hard to get there before they open at 1pm. They really pride themselves of keeping their production to small batches and made from scratch daily to ensure quality.

Interior

The space is very small, so only a small amount of people can line up inside. Also, there are only 2 seats for dining in. Most people do take out or eat it outside.

Menu

The menu currently has 4 items to choose from.

Croquant Choux

This is a long a crunchy, textured almond crusted choux pastry filled with vanilla-bean custard creme. It reminded me of the delicious filling of a Beaded Papa with a super crunchy exterior. It was really good but I wish it had a touch more custard cream inside but at least it didn’t ooze all over my shirt. This will costs you $4.50 each.

Sapporo Style Japanese Cheese Tarts

This is a double-baked tart shell filled with fluffy, gooey cream-cheese mousse. It has a rich and cheesy tang to it. It was warm when it was served and I liked it. Some people get a whole box of 6 for a discount but I just went with one all for myself. It’s $3.80 per piece or 6 for $19.

Double Fromage Cheesecake

They cake is 5 inches wide and will run you $27 and there are limited quantities everyday as they must make it ahead of time. It is a very rich and creamy cake and it comes with a small container of strawberry syrup and real strawberry pieces. The container of the sauce was too small, so I wished it was bigger or had the option to purchase more.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s definitely a great addition to Yaletown with some delectable Japanese desserts. They run out quickly, so it’s too bad that not everyone can get a taste. Make sure to come early to beat the rush to ensure nothing is sold out. Prices are a bit high but given the labour costs, ingredients, and the rent in the area, it makes sense.

Address:
1066 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://bake49.com/

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In British Columbia

[Sneak Peek] Science of Cocktails 2019

Science of Cocktails is presented by New Avenue Capital and it is Science World’s biggest annual fundraising event. The goal is to raise $275,000 to help send 8,000 kids from underserved schools on field trips to Science World.

On February 7, 2019, event goers will experience the physics, chemistry and biology behind cocktails at over 25 beverage stations offering uniquely crafted libations from award-winning bartenders. Guests will also enjoy mouth-watering food pairings prepared by locally renowned restaurants and caterers, science activities, hands-on demos and Science World programming.

We were invited for a sneak peek of what customers would experience during the day of.

Ultrasonic Wave Infusion

Bartender: Chris Enns
Presented by World Class

With the used of ultrasonic waves, it preserves the sage leaves to be turned into a cordial. With the use of heat, it also kills and bacteria and also seeds up the process.

This is made with 45ml Tanqueray no10, 15ml Fino Sherry, Ultrasonic infused with sage, 30ml Sage-White Tea Cordial (1:1; 12:1 Sugar/Citric Acid), 1dash Bittered Sling Cascade Celery, 45ml Tonic Water, and a Grapefruit Wedge

Smoked Old Fashioned

Bartender: Glowbal Group
Presented by Beam Suntory

Using smoke from hickory chips, it adds a smokey aroma to the old fashioned. It is made with 2oz Jim beam black, 1/4 Oz Grand Marnier, 1/4 Oz Demerara syrup, 4 dash Fee Bros Old Fashioned bitters and the Ssmoked with hickory chips.

Penicillin – Diffusion

Bartender: Kevin Brownlee
Presented by Bacardi Canada

The whisky is diffused through the application of heat to create an evaporated mist. The Penicillin is made with Dewar’s 12 Whiskey, Honey ginger syrup, Lemon juice, and Ginger.

Gin & Water with Tonic

Bartender: Trevor Kallies
Presented by CPBA & Proximo Canada

With the use of a carbonation rig, it turns water into a fizzy carbonated beverage. This is made with carbonated soda, Boodles Gin, water and citric acid. An interesting twist to the noraml gin and tonic.

They also showed off some non-alcoholic beverages too using Seedlip’s distilled non-alcoholic spirits. This one is the Garden 108, which has a floral blend of hand picked peas and hay.

Food Pairings

No drinking event can be without food. Here are a few food options to expect from local Vancouver restaurants.

Braised Short Rib Wellington and Cheese Stuffed Tortellini by Global Group

Vegan Hummus Roll by hapa izakaya

Seared Duck Breast on Crisps by Donnelly Group

Tickets

General Tickets are now sold out, but VIP tickets are still available for $289 and you get 1 hour early access to all bar stations, exclusive access to the VIP Lounge, premium cocktail offerings prepared by award-winning bartenders, passed canapés service, VIP-only Science World stage show, special themed take-away gift, valet parking (first come, first served), and a charitable tax receipt for $150.

Website:
https://scienceworld.ca/cocktails

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In Gastown

Water Street Cafe: Dinner in Gastown with a View

Water Street Cafe is located in Gastown right across the Steam clock. We highly recommend making reservations and requesting a window seat. They have been around since 1988 serving up Canadian and Italian inspired dishes on the menu. We came here for dinner to check out the space and a few items on the menu with my husband.

Calamari Fritti

The deep-fried calamari is served with fried jalapeno, red onion, lemon pepper, and garlic aioli. The calamari was very crisp on the outside and the inside was tender and not chewy at all. A pretty well executed dish.

Burrata Caprese

This is made of burrata, heirloom and roma tomato, basil, salsa verde, white balsamic glaze, sun dried tomato pesto, chive oil, and himalayan pink salt. It’s not a large dish but the quality of the ingredients are great. The burrata is so delicious and creamy. One of my favourite cheeses.

Chef’s Amuse Bouche

The Chef made us something extra as a taster before the entrees. These was salad and sauces that complimented the seared scallops.

Chef’s Daily Creation – Proscuitto Wrapped Salmon with 2 Lime Prawns 

This is served with roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables. It was a good portion size but the salmon was a tad overcooked, so it wasn’t as tender as I would have liked.

New York Steak

This has a medium-rare grilled 8 oz. AAA Canadian steak topped with red wine demi-glace, roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables. It was cooked to a medium rare but it was pretty average.

Affogato

It is served with espresso, vanilla gelato, and biscotti. It was really good and hit the spot for the end of the meal. Very satisfying.

Final Thoughts

Most of the dishes for this meal was delicious but the entrees that we chose fell flat. They do have a selection of pasta dishes but maybe we should have chosen those. I’ll still be back though because their brunch menu sounds amazing and we did really enjoy the appetizers we had. They offer a great happy hour 7 days a week from 3 -5pm with 50% off appetizers, $5 wine or beer and $8 craft cocktails.

Address:
300 Water St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.waterstreetcafe.ca

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In Dineout

[Sneak Peek] Dine Out Vancouver 2019 at Donsanko Restaurant

Dosanko Restaurant serves up Yōshoku-style Japanese cuisine using seasonally inspired, local ingredients following Japanese traditions of using what’s around you.

They are one of the participating restaurants on the Dine Out Vancouver 2019 list. We got a special sneak peek to see what they are offering customers. You will be treated to their $25 menu lunch and dinner menu. There is also a vegetarian menu too.

Interior

The space is very rustic and features a bar and a good amount of seating. Best to make reservations as it will be pretty busy during Dine Out Vancouver to ensure a seat for your party.

Menu

Appetizers

Potato and leek soup is a vegetarian option and made from scratch. Good depth of flavour and a good way to start the meal.

Smoked Saba Croquette is outstanding. The exterior is crisp and the inside if fluffy and has a good smoked saba flavour inside. My favourite of the 3 appetizers.

Aki’s Salad is vegan and it has seasonal greens, vegetable, seeds, grains and a koji dressing. Light and refreshing.

Entrees

Cabbage Rolls are stuffed with a pork mixture and comes in 2 varieties of sauces. Very comforting and the sauces were very complimentary to the cabbage roll. An interesting twist to the dish.

Winter Veggie Doria is a vegetarian dish and is served in a hot stone bowl. There is rice on the bottom, an assortment of veggies and a delicious white cream sauce. Very filling, good flavours, and like comfort in a bowl.

Hayashi-Rice has their hayashi sauce made of beef shank and caramelized onion and served with pickled veg and rice. So comforting! A good potion size too. This was the favourite of the entrees.

Dessert

Panna Cotta with Citrus was a treat. The vanilla in the panna cotta was really good and the grapefruit and orange segments are beautiful and paired well with its bright flavours.

Amazake Rice Pudding is vegetarian and was the most surprising item on the menu that I adored. It has fermented rice with koji, rice pudding, azuki red beans, vanilla ice cream and kinako. Wow, just so damn good. No words to express how much I loved it.

Sorbet is the vegan option. 3 flavours – quince, peach, and berries. Good options for those who can’t have the other 2 dessert options. Very good flavours too.

Final Thoughts

For a $25 3-course menu, it’s one of the better values on the Dine Out Vancouver options. Highly recommend Dosanko for either lunch or dinner. One of my favourite dine out meals so far.

Address:
66 Powell St Unit #100, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://dosankorestaurant.ca/

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In Dineout

[Sneak Peek] Dine Out 2019 at PiDGiN Restaurant

PiDGiN Restaurant is located between Chinatown and Gastown. They specialize in Asian and French fusion cuisine paired with craft cocktails.

They are one of the participating restaurants on the Dine Out Vancouver 2019 list. We got a special sneak peek to see what they are offering customers. You will be treated to their $45 menu which is served family-style. You can get the Omnivore menu or the vegetarian menu. Great to have both options.

Dine Out 2019 Menu + Drink Menu

Wine and Sake Pairings

You can add on wine and sake pairings to your dine out meal to really accentuate your experience at PiDGiN. They are known for their wine and sake program, so sit back and relax as they educate you on a variety of drinks. It is a $45 add on, but it’s a great selection.

Head Cheese Terrine

This was one of my favourite dishes of the evening. The smooth texture of the terrine was so good when paired with the crispy puffed beef tendon and savoury pickled shiitake mushrooms.

Corned Beet Salad

No beef found here, but only beets. The ricotta and the pumpkin seed crackers add much needed texture and complimentary flavours that go well together. There is also a ume vinaigrette and fermented daikon in it.

Okonomiyaki

The Okonomiyaki is topped with green onions, Bulldog sauce and KewPie Japanese Mayonnaise. It’s a bit dense like it’s a Japanese pancake pizza.

Seared Pacific Rockfish

It also has riesling choucroute. The rockfish was delicious and full of flavour.

Cache Creek Skirt Steak Ssam

This dish is more interactive and you put a bit of steak, kimchi, daikon, garlic, and ssamjang and eat it like a lettuce wrap. The steak was made medium rare but was a bit tough and not as tender than we initially thought.

Chocolate and Black Tea Parfait

To end the meal, this is the chocolate and black tea parfait with Ovaltine crumble. The parfait and the foam has a very similar texture so it blended together, so it was hard to differentiate the strong chocolate taste. The Ovaltine crumble was a nice added texture.

The following dishes below are a few different dishes on their Dine Out Vegetarian menu or add ons.

Spicy Miso Fried Cauliflower

It also has sesame seeds, basil, and mint. This is a vegetarian dish and can be found on their Vegetarian Dine Out Menu. It is packed with so much umami flavour from the miso. Great combination.

Kombu Risotto

This has soy braised fennel, confit leeks, wakame and pickled kombu. This was my least favourite vegetarian dish as it felt more like a congee rather than a risotto. Lacked a bit of seasoning and needed more flavour.

Cultivated Mushrooms

I could have this plate all to myself. It also has squash puree, yuzu brown butter, and a ramen egg. So damn good. Highly recommended!

Oyster Shot

This is an add on for an extra $4.50 and it is served in a shot glass with a horseradish emulsion and apple granite on top. A fun way to start the meal.

Final Thoughts

The menu is pretty solid and there are so many ways to elevate your experience here with add-ons as well as wine and sake pairings. You can stick with the basics or go beyond it. The family-style concept is nice and refreshing if you like sharing but maybe not for everyone.

Address:
350 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.pidginvancouver.com/

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In Fusion

Green Leaf Sushi: Korean Japanese Fusion in Burnaby

Green Leaf Cafe opened their second location in Burnaby and it’s good they finally opened right by Lougheed Mall so there are more food options in the area. They are a Japanese and Korean fusion restaurant that takes the best of both cuisines. I came here with the family for lunch to check it out.

Interior

The space is large and it can get quite busy on weekends, so a reservation is best to ensure your whole party gets seated with no waits.

Menu

Crispy Chicken Karaage

The chicken is deep-fried and seasoned with a soy garlic sauce and served with a garlic mayo. It comes in 5, 10 or 15 pieces in an order. It was really delicious, well seasoned and also very moist inside.

Grilled Miso Mackerel

It has the grilled mackerel with a housemade miso sauce on top of grilled onions and served with rice on the side. It was average and all the sauces clashed with the natural saltiness of the mackerel.

Aburi Tuna Salad

In this big salad is flame seared tuna, greens, garlic chips, and yuzu ponzu dressing. Good and refreshing.

Salmon Oshi

Salmon Oshi is quite popular here. There are double layers of Atlantic salmon, oshi sauce and topped with a Jalapeno. The sauce is flame seared so it give it a nice texture and flavour. What I found with their version is that the rice is quite oily, so it falls apart easily.

Scallop Oshi

The Scallop Oshi has scallop, fish eggs, oishi sauce and topped with cracked pepper. I felt the same feeling about these too. It was just too oily and also fell apart.

Tornado Omelette

The tornado rice is beautiful. It has a sweet and savoury demiglace sauce or you can choose the Jalapeno creamy sauce. It looked beautiful, but it was average as it was just rice and eggs.

Uni Bibimbab

This has mushrooms, onions, fresh local sea urchin, house-made seasoned seaweed sauce on top of rice. It looked nice but it was ok.

Mentaiko Creamy Linguine

This has linguine covered in a Jalapeno creamy cod roe sauce with prawns. It is also topped with more cod roe on top. Pretty good tasting.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a good

Address:
9604 Cameron St, Burnaby, BC 

Website:
https://www.greenleafcafebc.ca/

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In Commercial Drive / Grandview

Bombay Kitchen + Bar: Indian Cuisine on Commercial Drive

Bombay Kitchen + Bar is located on Commercial Drive near Parker Street and they serve up a modern twist to traditional Indian dishes like tandoori, curries, naan, roti, etc. They also do delivery and pick up, so it’s convenient if you want Indian cuisine.

We were invited to try a few of their popular items.

Interior

The interior is nice and modern. They have large tables for bigger groups. They also take reservations so that’s great to secure your spot for a party.

Menu

Cocktails

They have a varieties of cocktails on the menu that are alcoholic or non-alcoholic. You can have it more sweet and fruity or more bold and strong.

They also do have the usual Mango Lassi, and Masala Chai Tea drinks. It’s good to have options so you can have it with your meal.

Papadum with Mint Chutney

Papadum is a crisp lentil cracker and it’s paired with their mint chutney. I love papadums as it’s like a large chip but made with lentils. The crunch is music to my ears.

Sweet Chili Gobi

This dish has fried cauliflower fritters in a sweet and sour sauce. The sauce had a good balance between the sweetness and spice, definitely good and tasty. We did notice that the longer you leave the dish, the more soggy it gets.

Veggie Pakora

A classic item to get at any Indian restaurant. It has mixed vegetables battered and deep-fried. It is crisp and paired with a chutney dip. A good texture too.

Tandoori Goat Chops

One of our favourite dishes of the night and it’s also one of their house specialties. It has tender goat chops with crisps. Highly recommended.

Curries

They have a few different curries on the menu and it is best with basmati rice so you can scoop a little curry and some rice to enjoy.

Lamb Kalya is a boneless lamb braised in an aromatic curry. Very tender and full of flavour.

Malai Kofta has mixed vegetables and paneer dumplings in a light tomato and cream sauce. The dumplings had a texture like a potato ball, which adds texture to the curry.

Butter Naan

Buttered Naan is classic to dip into curry. It comes out nice and hot, plus it has a good chew. It’s always good to have both naan and rice to go with curry.

Final Thoughts

The restaurant is nice, has friendly staff, and the food was pretty good. The prices are fair and there are a lot of varieties of dishes on the menu to check out.

Address:
1018 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://bombaykitchenandbar.ca

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In Renfrew-Collingwood

Riz Sushi Bar: Build-Your-Own Chirashi Don in Vancouver

Riz Sushi Bar on Broadway and Renfrew has created the first customizable Chirashi Don in Vancouver where you can build your own bowl. They have fresh fish delivered from Japan and boasts a good selection of seafood. Whats great about this is that you can create your perfect Chirashi Don without having the items you don’t like.

Types of fish

Their selection of fresh fish can contain salmon, tuna, hokkigai, ebi, tai, sockeye, scallop, negitoro, ikura, uni, hotate, hamachi, shima aji, kampachi, madai, or delicious o-toro.

The availability and prices can vary depending on market price, but they keep it as affordable as possible for their customers. You can go all out and get the expensive cuts like o-toro or you can go with cheaper types like salmon and tuna.

Prices

At the time of this article, these are the current prices and fish varieties available. Prices and varieties can change without notice.

[one_fourth last=”no”]

$1.50 per piece

  • salmon
  • tuna
  • hokkigai
  • ebi
  • tai

[/one_fourth]

[one_fourth last=”no”]

$2.00 per piece

  • sockeye
  • scallop
  • negitoro
  • ikura

[/one_fourth]

[one_fourth last=”no”]

$3.00 per piece

  • uni
  • hotate
  • hamachi
  • shima aji

[/one_fourth]

[one_fourth last=”yes”]

$4.00 per piece

  • kampachi
  • madai

$6.00 per piece

  • o-toro

[/one_fourth]

What’s in our bowl?

In our bowl, we had Wild Salmon, Albacore Tuna, 2 kinda of Hamachi, Tai, Tako, and Ikura. With all this, it will run you close to $30. The cuts were good and its a nice way to try a variety of fish too.

Final Thoughts

It’s a good option if you know what type of fish you want. For those who are indecisive, you can always ask the staff for some recommendations to craft your Chirashi Don. The downside of Riz Sushi Bar is that they are currently open on weekdays only. They may consider opening on Saturday but no solid plans yet.

Address:
2887 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.rizsushi.com/

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In Dineout

[Sneak Peek] Dine Out 2019 at The Vancouver Fish Company

The Vancouver Fish Company is back as one of the participating restaurants on the Dine Out Vancouver 2019 list. We got a special sneak peek to see what they are offering customers. You will be treated to their $45 dinner and lunch menus.

We were invited to get a sneak peek of the menu.

Menu

You choose one item from each category and you also have some suggested wine pairings that you can add to your meal.

1st Course

Seafood Chowder has fresh seafood, clams, bacon, thyme and cream. It has a thick creamy consistency with hints of the bacon and thyme in the chowder. This dish uses OceanWise seafood and is also gluten-free.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay

Maple Walnut Prawns are lightly fried tempura prawns with Yuzu mayo, walnuts, toasted sesame, and Togarashi. This dish uses OceanWise seafood and is also gluten-free.

Suggested Wine Pairing: 50th Parallel Riesling

Organic Beet Salad with Klipper’s Farm organic beets, toasted pistachios, baby arugula, avocado rosemary vinaigrette, and shaved parmesan. This dish is gluten-free and vegetarian.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Dirty Laundry Rose

2nd Course

Poached Atlantic Lobster uses a whole Nova Scotia lobster and served with Klipper’s Farm organic vegetables, garlic roasted potatoes, and drawn butter. This dish is gluten-free.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Perseus Select Lots Chardonnay

Seafood Hot Pot has Dungeness crab, pink scallops, prawns, mussels, clams, baby Yukon Gold potatoes, corn, saffron fennel nage, and garlic toast. The broth is more of a tomato base with lots of seafood on top. This dish uses OceanWise seafood.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris

Surf & Turf has an 6 oz Alberta Striploin, scallop & prawn skewer, confit garlic whipped potatoes, roasted acorn squash, Klipper’s Farm organic vegetable medley, celeriac puree, and red wine jus. This dish uses OceanWise seafood and is also gluten-free.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Adega Syrah

Desserts

New York Cheesecake has traditional cheesecake, strawberry compote, and chantilly cream. This is vegetarian.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Taylor Fladgate Tawny Port 10 Year

Apple Tarte Tatin has caramel Granny Smith apples and vanilla gelato.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Hester Creek Late Harvest Pinot Blanc

Final Thoughts

For $45 its a bit high compared to other restaurants also participating in DineOut Vancouver, but their menu does boast a lot of seafood options.

Address:
517 Anderson St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.dineoutvancouver.com/listings/the-vancouver-fish-company-restaurant-%26-bar/39256/

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In Dineout

[Sneak Peek] Dine Out 2019 at The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant is back as one of the participating restaurants on the Dine Out Vancouver 2019 list. We got a special sneak peek to see what they are offering customers. You will be treated to their $35 dinner menu or lunch menu.

Menu

Appetizers

Sablefish Croquette comes with 3 pieces and paired with their miso aioli. The taste of the sablefish in the croquette was more muted so it didn’t stand out. This dish is gluten-free.

This is a Beet & Arugula Salad with goat cheese, and a fig balsamic vinaigrette. This dish is vegetarian and gluten-free.

Their Clam Chowder is housemade and it has clams and hearty potatoes inside. We enjoyed this.

Entrees

Cioppino has prawns, mussels, clams, cod, and snow crab.

6 oz Prime New York Striploin alderwood grilled with market vegetables and roasted potatoes. A good steak best done medium rare with all the veggies that make a good pairing. Also, this dish is gluten-free.

Sapa Rau Bowl has coconut jasmine rice, lemongrass yogurt, pickled papaya, mushrooms, yams, fresh vegetables, cashews, and a Singapore sauce. This is the vegetarian option.

Enhancements

You can swap out dishes for either of these for a set menu of $45 rather than $35.

Crab Crusted BC Lingcod forno baked with market vegetables, coconut jasmine rice, and beurre blanc sauce. The lingcod is Oceanwise too.

Sesame Crusted Albacore Tuna seared rare with soy mustard, wasabi, and cucumber salsa. The tuna is Oceanwise and the whole dish is gluten-free.

Desserts

Chocolate Truffle Cake is decadent and satisfied those dessert cravings.

Buttermilk Pannacotta with a berry compote and citrus crumble on top.

Final Thoughts

Overall, decent dish options here with flexibility to swap for enhanced dishes. I like how they are committed to using Oceanwise seafood where possible.

Address:
1535 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.vancouverdine.com/sandbar/

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In Dineout

[Sneak Peek] Dine Out 2019 at Dockside Restaurant

Dockside Restaurant is back as one of the participating restaurants on the Dine Out Vancouver 2019 list. We got a special sneak peek to see what they are offering customers. You will be treated to their $35 menu which has 3 courses per person.

They are located on Granville Island specializing in West Coast Cuisine. Popular in the Summer for their fresh seafood and patio views.

Dine Out 2019 Menu

You choose 1 dish from the 3 categories and you have the option of wine pairings for $12 extra.

Appetizers

Cucumber Caprese comes with 3 pieces on a plate and it has cucumber, bocconcini, strawberry, and a pomegranate reduction. This is gluten-free and vegetarian. A good fresh and crisp way to start the meal.

Wine pairing: Fitzpatrick Pinot Blanc

Korean Spiced Arancini is paired with their chili lime aioli. This is a vegetarian dish as well and it comes in 2 pieces per order. It was delicious and not spicy at all. A good use of Korean spices to go with this traditional Italian snack.

Wine Pairing: Perseus Pinot Grigio

Beef Empanada comes with 2 pieces and it has avocado crema, and a charred tomato bell pepper relish. The exterior was really crisp, but the empanada isn’t fully closed, so if you eat it with your hands, some filling might fall out.

Wine Pairing: Skaha Cabernet Franc

Main

Singapore Seafood curry is a gluten-free dish and it has seafood in it and topped with pieces of coconut rice cake. It has a rich coconut flavour but not too heavy.

Wine Pairing: Road 13 Viognier

Crispy Braised Chicken uses chicken thighs, flageolet bean cassoulet, and pan jus. A hearty dish and the chicken thighs were juicy. This is also a gluten-free dish too.

Wine Pairing: Sperling Pinot Noir

Grilled Lamb Rack comes with 3 pieces a top lemon herb gnocchi, veggies and chimichurri sauce. The lamb was delicious and cooked perfectly, but the gnocchi wasn’t as soft and fluffy as I thought it would have been.

Wine Pairing: Ravens Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

Mushroom Goat Cheese Risotto is their vegetarian dish for the entrees. It has forged wild mushrooms, and goat cheese. The dish smelled vibrant of truffles, but when we ate into it, it was a tad bland like it needed a bit more salt.

Wine Pairing: Dessert Hills Chardonnay

Dessert

Chocolate Crème Brûlée is topped with berries and served with a house made biscotti on the side. It was ok.

Apple Pie “lollipop” a la mode is served with vanilla gelato. I preferred this dish over the chocolate crème brûlée, but that’s just my personal preference.

Final Thoughts

Overall, some hits and misses on the menu, but there is variety that not just all seafood. It’s good they have gluten-free and vegetarian options on the menu so everyone can enjoy.

Address:
1253 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.dineoutvancouver.com/listings/dockside-restaurant/18449/

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In Bakery

Good Mong Kok Bakery: Take Out Dim Sum in San Francisco

Good Mong Kok Bakery is a popular spot for homemade dim sum and baked goods in this tiny shop. They are located in Chinatown in San Francisco. As we arrived on a weekend in the morning, there was already a long line up. Since we wanted a small snack and had some time to kill, we thought we would give this place a try.

Don’t forget to bring cash.

Line Up

Everyone self-organizes themselves into a line, so you just need to ask around to find the end of the line. The line up was long when we were here but it moved at a decent pace.

Interior

The space is very small and cramped inside and it is to go only as there are no seats. Dim Sum and buns are pumped out constantly from the shop. When you get your order, don’t forget to ask for utensils if you’re eating it nearby.

If you come later in the afternoon, they sell out of popular items so don’t come here too late or else you’ll be out of luck.

Menu

Shrimp and Chive Dumplings

It comes with 3 pieces each and it’s very very affordable. The skin was a bit thicker than what I normally like, but the shrimp and chive filling inside was good.

Sticky Rice Ball

The big round thing on the right side if a big ball stuffed with sticky rice. Something interesting that I haven’t seen that often.

BBQ Pork Bun

The BBQ pork bun was big and had a good amount of filling. Sweet and meaty. Highly Recommended.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I thought this Good Mong Kok Bakery was ok because I come from a city that has some of the best Dim Sum in the world. If you’ve never had dim sum before, you’ll enjoy this place. Just know its not very typical to have dim sum for take out. I personally prefer to sit down at a restaurant to have dim sum.

Address:
1039 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA

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In Mexican

Taqueria El Farolito: Tacos in San Francisco

Did someone say tacos? A few hours before our flight back home, we needed to stop at Taqueria El Farolito for some delicious Mexican tacos in this hole in the wall. If there is a line, it better be good. We heard of this place as my brother in law came here on a previous trip to San Francisco. They have a few location in San Francisco, but we came to their Mission location.

Also, it’s cash only, so make sure you have money on you.

Interior

As a hole in the wall restaurant with no-frills, don’t expect much and that didn’t bother us at all. It’s all about the food. You get in line and order on the left side of the restaurant. There are some seats on the right side and the rear of the restaurant, but very limited.

Menu

Sauces

As we paid for our order and waited till it was ready, there is a sauce station where you can grab what you need. There are mild, medium and hot sauces.

To Go

We got our meal to go as there weren’t any seats, so we ate our tacos in the car before going to the airport. It was messy but oh so good.

Al Pastor Taco

This is their Marinated Pork taco with onion, and cilantro on a soft tortilla. It was really good as the meat was very juicy. I paired it with the medium salsa and inhaled it so quickly.

Carne Asada Taco

This is their steak taco with onion, and cilantro on a soft tortilla. Similar to this one, it was really delicious.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a nice quick stop to Taqueria El Farolito for their delicious tacos. The prices were really good and I would come back again. The sizes of the tacos were nice too.

Address:
2779 Mission St, San Francisco, CA

Website:
https://elfarolitosf.com/

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